Platte County freshman Tyler Stambersky runs in the Todd Warner Kickoff Classic on Saturday at Staley High School in Kansas City. BRANDI JACKSON/Special to PC Preps Extra

Stambersky, Nichols top Platte County’s finishers on Staley High School course

Pirates trying to sort lineup as newcomers combine with group of returning state qualifiers in 1st 2 races of season.

Tyler Stambersky continues to profile as Platte County’s No. 1 runner, and the talented freshman received another competitive introduction to the role in Saturday’s Todd Warner Kickoff Classic at Staley High School in Kansas City. The Pirates placed 12th out of 16 top-tier teams from both sides of the state line.

BRANDI JACKSON/Special to PC Preps Extra
Platte County senior Maddie Nichols competes in the Todd Warner Kickoff Classic on Saturday at Staley High School in Kansas City.

With a roster filled with returning Class 4 MSHSAA Cross Country Championships experience, Platte County must figure out the lineup, but Stamberksy again paced the Pirates. She finished 35th at 21 minutes, 3.40 seconds on the course that hosted last season’s Class 4 District 4 meet but came in about 10 seconds off her career debut the previous weekend.

However, Platte County’s other four scoring runners looked a little bit different with senior Maddie Nichols (60th, 22:07.00), junior Maddie Stewart (66th, 22:07.70), senior Madison Palmer (69th, 22:26.00) and junior Indigo Teufel (72nd, 22:35.80). The Pirates only lost two seniors — all-staters Sisely Mitchell and Carmen Gentilia — from last year’s state team, but from Saturday’s top five, only Palmer ran in that race.

Stewart did compete at Class 4 District 4 to help Platte County earn a fourth straight team berth. Teufel made her season debut and set a career-best time, going under 23 minutes for the first time, while Stewart nearly went under 22 minutes for the first but also set a PR.

However, Platte County’s depth shows in junior Joanna Reil (82nd, 22:51.70), senior Alexia Myer (83rd, 22:52.10), senior Brooklynne Jenni (89th, 22:58.00) and junior Nora McCoy (96th, 23:24.30) also competing at Staley. Teams were allowed 10 entries rather than the traditional seven, and Reil, Jenni and McCoy all ran at state a year ago, while Myer, a second-year transfer, ended up a breakout middle-distance performer in the spring track and field season.

Platte county sophomore Thais Thompson (100th, 23:31.50) set a PR made her varsity debut. Myer also bettered her time from a week earlier by about 23 seconds.

With Nichols’ solid debut and Teufel’s breakout performance, seven different runners have placed in the top five for Platte County so far this season through two races. Stambersky has been the Pirates’ top runner both times, while Palmer and Stewart have also been in the top five for both races. Myer and McCoy were scoring runners in the season-opening Tim Nixon Invitational.

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